Entries from July 2008
Now that The Eternal Sweater is completely off the needles (does another happy dance) I’ve started a couple other projects. One is actually a crochet project – a mat for my newly painted bathroom:
I’m working it in bright cottons and broad stripes and loving the way it’s coming out. Single crochet on a G hook, 12 rows of a color and then 3 rows of white, repeat and repeat… =) It’s a nice easy project to work on when watching tv.
And I also started my Shetland Shorty from the latest Knitty!
Only on row 2 and already knitted over 300 stitches. 
But I want to finish this before school starts – on August 18th. I’m sad that my summer is almost gone!
-Sarah Elizabeth
Categories: crochet · knitting
That’s my word of the day. Done. The Eternal Sweater is DONE!!!
I did lengthen the sleeves, and I’m pretty happy with the fit now. If I made it again, in addition to adding almost 4 inches to the sleeve length, I’d add more length to the body as well – though I absolutely CANNOT be bothered to go back and do that now, and it’s quite long enough to be wearable. I do need to block it out though – the many kitchenered stitches which adorn the sweater in particular need to be blocked and evened out.
But YAY! ETERNAL SWEATER IS DONE! And I’ll get to wear it this winter! Huzzah!
Stay tuned for news of exciting NEW projects! 
Categories: knitting
I had to get up super early for work this morning, and had a busy afternoon with errands and cleaning; so, being extremely tired and sleepy, I wanted a quick, instant gratification project when I sat down tonight to play with fiber. I saw midnight knitter’s wrist pillow when I was blog surfing a few days ago, and thought it a rather brilliant idea (I’m always meaning to get one of those ergonomic mousepads, and of course, always forget). So I whipped up my own version.
I used the remains of an oddball of ggh aspen from a sweater I made a few years back, and a little crystal palace trio for the embroidery. It crocheted up very quickly and I stuffed it with some cheap roving I had lying around. Presto – wrist pillow!
And now I will sleep.
-Sarah Elizabeth
Categories: crochet
Today was a perfect summer Saturday. I didn’t have to work today, and woke up feeling rested and relaxed to the sound of a light thunderstorm. I got up and went out for knitting and coffee with a couple of my friends, one of whom I’ve won over to the awesomeness of knitting and am guiding through the learning process. I absolutely love helping people learn to knit, and we had a blast! And I also got a few inches done on the sleeve of the eternal sweater. 
Then I went home, got the sewing room set up with movies (harry potter and batman for the win!), iron, and purse pieces, and sewed until 11 pm.
Voila!
Pattern: Amy Butler’s “Smart Handbag”
Fabric: Amy Butler: Midwest Modern
I love it so much! It’s gorgeous and perfect, I love how the fabrics work together, I love how the way I placed each one worked out; I love every detail and every bit and I think it’s adorable and I can’t wait to carry it everywhere. And I think that my Fossil wallet (which I got 80% off – I LOVE sales) is perfect for it.
It just really was a perfect Saturday.
-Sarah Elizabeth
Categories: sewing
Yay! I like my little gabu. This is also my first successfully finished crochet object, soo… woot! The pattern, of course, is Roxycraft’s crochet gabu pattern.
-Sarah Elizabeth
Categories: amigurumi
Today was an errands running day, and I stepped out of the house in style:
This is the skirt I made out of Amy Butler fabric last year. It’s not a skirt that I would wear everyday, it’s not a skirt that I have the gumption to wear everyday. It’s so unlike the standard fare of clothing in my city that it takes a certain amount of attitude to hit the town in. But I love love LOVE the skirt, and the fact that I did wear it today bears witness to the fact that I was in very high spirits indeed.
Going errands running went smoothly and was fun, especially getting caught in a downpour as I dashed out of the library! I scored some movies and audiobooks to watch/listen to while working on my projects.
When I got home and dried out, I proceeded to get my purse completely cut out-
All 21 pieces of it. Whew…
As I busily cut out the fabric, wavering everytime I had to make a fabric choice for this or that piece, my first sewing project that I ever made watched over me. This is Buttons the lamb, keeping himself occupied on one of my brothers’ Nintendo DS’s:
Buttons was made when I was 11 or so in a Bernina sewing class in North Carolina. He is to date the only toy that I’ve sewn (though I have knit some others), and reminds me of a giant amigurumi. Which is my latest obsession! I spent the greater part of the morning on ravelry and other sites looking at all the amazingly adorable amigurumi. Since I’m halfway decent with crocheted circles now, I figured I’d give it a try – I have some Patons Grace that should do the job quite well, and I picked up some crocheting books at the library to help guide me if I get stuck – with all the amigurumi patterns on the net, I should be set!
-Sarah Elizabeth
Categories: amigurumi · knitting · sewing
I’m just a little gleeful and giddy, for I’m now halfway through the last sleeve of the eternal sweater!
Which means the end seriously is finally FOR REALS. in sight. Thank goodness… amazing what actually working on it can do!
But this sweater, being the eternal sweater of gloomy doom, is throwing one last curse at me before I finish it. I’m worried, once more, about the sleeve length. I already performed sweater surgery on the first sleeve, adding about 2″ to the length, but I’m not sure that that’s going to be enough. As it is the sleeves will be *just* long enough – I’d prefer them to be 2″ longer for roominess, but I’m not sure it’s worth hacking into my sweater for the 3rd time and performing kitchener stitch. What say you? I’d only have to do it on the first sleeve, not the second, as I could easily add on the length to the second, it not being finished yet.
Tonight I’ll be cutting out the fabric for my next sewing project – Amy Butler’s ’smart handbag’. I picked up some buttons for the closure today!
I haven’t decided which to use. My favorite, though also the most incongruous of the bunch, is the turtle.
When you see things like this, you understand how clichéd terms like ‘cute as a button’ can form!
-Sarah Elizabeth
Categories: knitting · sewing
Didn’t involve yarn – instead, it involved paint:
Behold a very rosey painted bathroom! I had a lot of fun painting it, and I really like the result – with white and pale pastel accessories it makes for a very cheery space, with a lot more personality than the former, very standard looking beige oak and taupe affair. I’m very pleased with it and glad that I took the time to do it.
The dale sweater is coming along, I hope to finish it this week, and I’m starting some of my sewing projects today!
-Sarah Elizabeth
Categories: miscellaneous
Yes, I really, honestly, truly did. It’s a miracle.
But first of course, I have to show you the very last in progress picture of the endpaper mitts that you will ever see (well, at least of this pair!)
I finished them tonight, whilst watching one of the Harry Potter films… fun stuff.
I had so much fun making these, and they turned out beautifully. I love them. And, as cold as it can get here in the Kansas winters, I know that I’ll get plenty of chances to wear them!
I went yarn and fabric shopping today for the first time in a long time… it was tremendously fun. My mom and I are redecorating my room using some of amy butler’s amazingly gorgeous fabrics, and we picked the ones we’re using out today.
It’s all just… swoonworthy. I’m sooo excited to get started on the pillows and everything! Designing fabric would be awesome. I also got some of her fabrics to make some purses and ipod cases! So stay tuned in the upcoming weeks for progress on all of that.
Oh, and I’ve been spinning…
I apparently haven’t lost my touch.
So knitwise, what I have on my plate is finishing up that last sleeve of the Eternal Dale Sweater and being done with it FOREVER! so that I can actually wear it this year. Then I have the rowan salina sweater to finish up… and the mate to a pair of socks I’m designing… and a very awesome crocheted scarf I’m designing to finish as well. New projects on the horizon… I think I’ll be knitting quite a lot of socks, and as soon as I finish the Eternal Dale Sweater I’m going to allow myself to start the Shetland Shorty from the new knitty – it’s sooo cute! I got today some Rowan 4 ply soft to use to make that.
Other than crafting (I should blog about my disasters sometime) I’ve been doing a lot of reading, working (I have a new job working retail now, in addition to teaching piano lessons – it’s fun!), and just really enjoying relaxing after the intensity of last semester. I love summer!
-Sarah Elizabeth
Categories: knitting · sewing · spinning
